International Survey Reveals 85% Of The World Lives Under Political Corruption

There is nowhere run from and nowhere to hide from corrupt government. Planet earth is infested with those who abuse the power of government.

A recently released report by Transparency International (TI) measured people’s perceptions of government corruption in 176 nations, confirming what most of us seem to already know: the vast majority of people around the world live with government corruption as a normal feature of everyday life.

Corruption, as defined by TI, is:

Generally speaking as “the abuse of entrusted power for private gain”. Corruption can be classified as grand, petty and political, depending on the amounts of money lost and the sector where it occurs.

Grand corruption consists of acts committed at a high level of government that distort policies or the central functioning of the state, enabling leaders to benefit at the expense of the public good. Petty corruption refers to everyday abuse of entrusted power by low- and mid-level public officials in their interactions with ordinary citizens, who often are trying to access basic goods or services in places like hospitals, schools, police departments and other agencies.

Political corruption is a manipulation of policies, institutions and rules of procedure in the allocation of resources and financing by political decision makers, who abuse their position to sustain their power, status and wealth. [Source]

This kind of official abuse is quite prevalent in our world, and some 85% of the world now suffers from what is perceived as high levels of government corruption.

Despite the illusion of elected government in half the world’s countries, democracy is losing. [Source]

The survey is completed each year in order to shed light on the condition of life around the world, and how actions by government seriously impact the lives of individuals. Especially in those nations where masses of people are kept in poverty while those in government live extraordinary lives of material excess.

In too many countries, people are deprived of their most basic needs and go to bed hungry every night because of corruption, while the powerful and corrupt enjoy lavish lifestyles with impunity. ~ José Ugaz, Chair of Transparency International

The 2016 survey also reveals that the world is trending towards becoming more corrupt, and the list of the highest ranking countries moving towards greater corruption include Canada, France, and other modern democracies.

Noting the effect of government corruption, TI point out that as corruption becomes more rampant, people lose trust in public institutions, leading to populist movements and great instability.

Final Thoughts

The burden of corrupt politicians and government officials is a parasitic invasion of the human race, and is the major factor in our lives that prevents us from reaching our vast human potential and true greatness. Government is force, and many of those who strive to work in and for government know that with the force of law behind them, crime pays.

These numbers span all types of governments, demonstrating that no matter what form government takes, it attracts the most parasitical members of society and nearly always becomes corrupt. Abuse of power is a built-in feature of government itself.